Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 and 16 August 2024

Topic: Indian Polity

1. Sperm or Egg donor cannot claim to be Children's biological parent: High Court.

• The Bombay High Court ruled that a sperm or egg donor has no legal right to the child and cannot claim to be its biological parent.
• The High Court has granted a 42-year-old woman visitation rights to her five-year-old twin daughters.
• The woman said that her daughters, born via surrogacy were living with her husband and younger sister, who was the egg donor.
• The petitioner's husband claimed that his sister-in-law was the egg donor, so she has a legitimate right to be called the biological parent of the twins.
• The court said the role of the younger sister is that of an egg donor, she may only qualify as a genetic mother.
• The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, prohibits commercial surrogacy.
• In 2021, the Indian government introduced a new surrogacy law to regulate surrogacy in India.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. 103 Gallantry awards to Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces personnel have been approved by President Droupadi Murmu.

• These are four Kirti Chakras including three posthumous, 18 Shaurya Chakras including four posthumous and one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry).
• Kirti Chakra was granted to Major Malla Rama Gopal Naidu, and posthumously to Colonel Manpreet Singh, Rifleman Ravi Kumar and Himayun Muzzammil Bhat.
• Two Shaurya Chakras were granted to Navy personnel and two were granted to Air Force personnel.
• Five of the 18 Shaurya Chakras went to CAPF personnel under Home Ministry.
• Among the Gallantry awards are 63 Sena Medals (Gallantry) including two posthumous, 11 Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and six Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
• The President has also approved 39 Mention-in-Despatches, including posthumously to Army Dog Kent for their significant contributions in different military operations.
• The operations include Operation Rakshak, Operation Snow Leopard, Operation Sahayata, Operation Hifazat, Operation Orchid and Operation Katchal.
• One President’s Tatrakshak Medal (Distinguished Service), one Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry) and two Tatrakshak Medals (Meritorious Service) to the Indian Coast Guard personnel has also been approved by President.
• President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Services and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service has also been approved.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

3. India has added three new Ramsar sites to wetlands network.

• With this, the number of total Ramsar sites in India has increased to 85.
• Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary and Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu have been added to the list of India’s Ramsar sites.
• Tawa Reservoir of Madhya Pradesh has also been added to the list of India’s Ramsar sites.
• As of June 2024, India had a total of 82 Ramsar sites.
• A Ramsar Site is a wetland site that has been designated as being of international importance by the Ramsar Convention.
• Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation of wetlands.
• It was signed on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, for the protection of wetland sites in the world.

Topic: Agriculture

4. Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the NPSS.

• National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) is a digital initiative by Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• NPSS utilizes technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to provide timely and precise pest management advisories.
• NPSS comprises a user-friendly mobile app and a web portal. These ensure its accessibility for all farmers.
• NPSS enables accurate pest identification, monitoring, management.
• NPSS provides quick solutions to pest attacks and crop diseases.

Topic: National News

5. On 15th August 2024, 78th Independence Day celebrated in India.

• The Prime Minister hoisted the national flag at the iconic Red Fort and inspected the Guard of Honour.
• The Government of India has declared the theme for this year to be Viksit Bharat, or Developed India.
• It symbolises the vision of a developed nation by 2047 and reflects the Government's commitment to transform India.
• The year 2047 will be the 100th year of India's independence from colonial rule.
• On this occasion, Prime Minister Modi said that 75 thousand new medical seats will be added in the country in the next five years.
• Mr Modi said students spend crores of rupees for medical education abroad, so the government will create 75,000 new medical seats in the next five years.
• Independence Day commemorates India's independence from British colonial rule for over 200 years on 15 August 1947.
• On August 15, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, hoisted the national flag at the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/Conference/meetings

6. National Workshop on Women Leadership in Panchayats organized in New Delhi.

• On August 14, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj organized a National Workshop on Leadership of Elected Women Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
• This workshop proved to be a significant milestone in empowering women leaders at the grassroots level and acknowledging their vital role in the collective efforts towards a developed India.
• The workshop was organised as a part of the 78th Independence Day celebrations.
• Around 400 Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) and Elected Representatives (ERs) from Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) were invited as special guests.
• The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Kiran Bedi, former Lt. Governor of Puducherry and Founder of Navjyoti India Foundation and India Vision Foundation, and others.

Topic: Sports

7. Badminton World Federation (BWF) suspended para shuttler Pramod Bhagat.

• BWF suspended him for a period of 18 months for breaching the anti-doping regulations.
• He will remain suspended from all badminton-related activities until September 1, 2025.
• As a result, he will miss Paris Paralympics 2024.
• Pramod Bhagat is a Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medal winner.
• Badminton World Federation announced that Pramod has been suspended on account of where about failure.
• As per federation, Anti-Doping Division of Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) found Pramod committed three whereabouts failures within 12 months.
• Bhagat appealed this decision to Appeals Division of CAS. The appeal was dismissed in July 2024.
• Pramod Bhagat is a SL3 category badminton player. He won a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics in men’s singles SL3 category.

Topic: Indian Polity

8. The Center's request for the July 25 ruling to be only applicable prospectively has been dismissed by the Supreme Court.

• The SC ruling upheld the right of states rich in minerals to receive taxes and royalties from the Central and mining companies on land that contains minerals as of April 1, 2005.
• These states will be able to gradually recover unpaid amount over the next 12 years after the Supreme Court's ruling.
• States are not allowed to charge penalties or interest on the arrears.
• The states' authority to impose taxes and royalties on land bearing minerals was upheld by a bench of nine judges. The bench was led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.
• The Mineral Area Development Authority's appeal to only impose these fees prospectively was rejected by the bench on August 14, 2024.
• The court made it clear that although states have the right to collect these unpaid dues, they are not allowed to apply penalties or interest to the arrears.
• To the payment of these past due amounts, the bench added additional requirements.
• Mineral-rich states may receive payments from the Centre and mining companies in stages over the course of the next 12 years.
• The payment of dues will not be subject to penalties from the states.
• The states' demand for a return of royalties collected on minerals and mines since 1989 was opposed by the Centre. 
• The Supreme Court decided on July 25 that States may impose taxes on mineral rights.
• The Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act 1957 does not restrict the power that the States possess, according to July 25 ruling by the Supreme Court.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

9. ICMR and Panacea Biotec started phase 3 trial of indigenous Dengue Vaccine.

• ICMR and Panacea Biotec have started the Phase 3 clinical trial of DengiAll, India's first indigenous dengue vaccine.
• This trial will evaluate the efficacy of India’s indigenous tetravalent dengue vaccine, DengiAll, developed by Panacea Biotec.
• The first participant in this trial was vaccinated at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak.
• At present, there is no antiviral treatment or licensed vaccine for dengue in India.
• The tetravalent dengue vaccine strain (TV003/TV005) originally was developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA.
• ICMR and Panacea Biotec will conduct the Phase 3 clinical trial across 19 sites in 18 States and Union Territories of India.

Topic: National Appointments

10. Rahul Navin has been appointed as Director of Enforcement Directorate.

• A 1993 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, Rahul Navin, has been appointed as the new director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Navin’s appointment for a period of two years.
• Before this appointment, Navin was serving as the Special Director of the Enforcement Directorate.
• Rahul Navin joined the ED in November 2019 as a Special Director (OSD).
• He was appointed acting director of the ED after the tenure of Sanjay Kumar Mishra ended in September 2023.
• Directorate of Enforcement:
  • It investigates offences of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws.
  • It is responsible for the enforcement of the Foreign Exchange Management Act 2019 (FEMA), Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, and certain provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
  • It works under the Union Finance Ministry.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi and is headed by the Director of Enforcement.

Topic: MoUs and Agreements

11. An MoU signed by India & US to promote cooperation on Small & Medium Enterprises.

• An MoU signed between the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and the Small Business Administration (SBA) of the Government of the United States of America to promote cooperation on Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs).
• On August 13, the MoU was signed in New Delhi between S C L Das, Secretary, Ministry of MSMEs, and Isabel Casillas Guzman, SBA Administrator, Government of the United States of America.
• The MoU provides a framework for both parties to discuss MSME-related issues and explore possibilities of cooperation.
• It envisages an exchange of expertise between the two sides on issues related to improving the participation of MSMEs in the global markets.
• It also provides for organizing joint programmes to empower women entrepreneurs and facilitate business partnerships between women-owned small businesses of two countries.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

12. Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will be the new head coach of India's junior men's team.

• Following India's bronze medal victory at the 2024 Olympics, Hockey India (HI) has announced that retiring goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will become the junior men's hockey team's next head coach.
• PR Sreejesh had announced his retirement from the sport after the Paris Olympics.
• India won the bronze medal for the second consecutive time by defeating Spain 2-1 due to the brilliant performance of the Indian goalkeeper.
• In 2017, he received the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, and in 2021, he awarded the Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honor.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

13. 28th Central & State Statistical Organizations Conference Concluded in New Delhi.

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (has organized the 28th conference of central and state statistical organizations.
• The theme of this conference was the ‘Use of Data for Decision Making- Strengthening State Statistical System.’
• A wide range of subjects of common interest between Central and State Government departments were discussed during the conference.
• Representatives of more than 30 Central Ministries and departments with State and Union Territories attended the conference.
• Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh had inaugurated the conference.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Corporates/Companies

14. NPCI incorporated NPCI BHIM Services as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) incorporated Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
• The new entity is known as NPCI-BHIM Services Ltd (NBSL).
• Lalitha Nataraj will be the chief executive officer (CEO) of the new subsidiary.
• Lalitha Nataraj has earlier worked with IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Bank.
• Rahul Handa will be chief business officer (CBO) of NPCI-BHIM Services Ltd (NBSL).
• He had worked as the executive vice president at the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
• At present, PhonePe and Google Pay jointly process about 85% of UPI volumes in India.